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DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T223000
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CREATED:20250806T182910Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250806T182910Z
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SUMMARY:The Magic Mic
DESCRIPTION:7 minutes of magic on the mic. Show us your magic\, share in the magic of others. Tell your tales\, share your songs\, make music\, melodies and memories with us. ALL ACTs OPEN! Starts at 8pm every Thursday at Poor Boys!
URL:https://litwire.org/event/the-magic-mic/2026-04-09/
LOCATION:Poor Boys Bar\, 1328 St Bernard Ave\, New Orleans\, L\, 70116\, United States
CATEGORIES:Conversation,Erotica,Flash Fiction,In-Person,Non-Fiction,Open Mic,Poetry,Poetry Slam,Q&A,Slam,Spoken Word,Story Slam,Storytelling,Talk
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/music.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Flavius":MAILTO:flaviusbentley@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260409T193000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161234
CREATED:20260406T213913Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260406T213913Z
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SUMMARY:An Evening with FreeQuency\, T Clark\, Adam Santino\, and Alan Brickman
DESCRIPTION:We’re back with another reading at the wonderful Twelve Mile Limit featuring four local writers and authors! \n\n\n\n\nWith books and more for sale from our friend Rayna at Book Banter Books!!! We hope to see you there! \nstory|teller\, organizer\, host\, workshop leader\, chaos collagist\, youth worker & performance artist\, FreeQuency is a gender-renegade Kenyan e|immigrant who is masculine off center\, femme adjacent\, an AunTea and|or a prettyboi. FreeQuency’s anti-disciplinary work interrogates and occupies the in between while exploring the nuances and stark contradictions of existence under racialized capitalism. This humanoid is the 2018 Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion\, the founder of Paza Sauti: Kenya & has been featured in or written for numerous outlets. Their work has amassed millions of views online including a TED talk that almost didn’t get released. \nT Clark’s short story collection All This Want (and I Can’t Get None) comes out June 2026 with One World Books. Their fiction has appeared in American Short Fiction\, Kenyon Review\, and elsewhere. A member of Intramural Theater Company\, they live and write in New Orleans. \nAuthor\, Photographer and Humorist. Adam Santino is a storyteller from New Orleans. You can find his work at Santinoart.com. \nAlan Brickman writes short stories and creative nonfiction. In his day job\, he consults to nonprofit organizations and has\, miraculously\, been able to stay upbeat and optimistic about this work. Alan’s writing has appeared in numerous literary journals\, and his story\, “My First Gun\,” appeared in B Cubed Press’ anthology “Southern Truths\,” which is funny because he was raised in New York and educated in Massachusetts. That being said\, he has now lived in New Orleans long enough to have become unfit to live anywhere else. He is a founding member of the Wednesday Riders writing group\, and will be forever grateful for their creative inspiration and loving friendship.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/an-evening-with-freequency-t-clark-adam-santino-and-alan-brickman/
LOCATION:12 mile limit\, 500 S Telemachus St\, New Orleans\, 70119
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/april-9-ig.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260408T210000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260408T233000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161234
CREATED:20230802T021019Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240309T172257Z
UID:10001631-1775682000-1775691000@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Poets on Poets
DESCRIPTION:Café Istanbul presents Poets on Poets every Wednesday 10:00 pm – 2:00 am.\n\nDoors open for 9:00 pm.\n\n$5 drinks all night long.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/poets-on-poets/2026-04-08/
LOCATION:Cafe Istanbul\, 2372 St Claude Ave\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70117\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic,Poetry
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/poets-on-poets.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260408T210000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260408T230000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161234
CREATED:20230802T014515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230802T014515Z
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SUMMARY:Esoterotica: Original Erotic Readings by Local Writers
DESCRIPTION:Every Other Wednesday at The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret 2240 St. Claude Ave. NOLA\n21 & Up\, $5 at the Door\, ID’s & Proof of Vaxx Required \nWe Strive to Create an Inclusive & Safe Space for Our Audience & Provocateurs.\nNo Matter Who You Are\, What You Desire\, or Whom You Love\, All Are Welcome \nEsoterotica is a revolving cast of local\, New Orleans area\, provocateurs reading and performing original erotica live\, on stage. Including poetry\, flash fiction\, spoken word\, sexy confessions\, and more\, each show is different\, often showcasing line-ups of new writing\, never heard before. \nLife’s pleasures are a sensory experience\, let us delight your imagination and provoke your desires in a variety of styles for your variety of persuasions.  Follow Us on Facebook and Instagram @Esoterotica NOLA. \nDo You have Something to Share? Email Us to Submit Your Original Erotica or Get More Information & Guidelines at info@esoterotica.com
URL:https://litwire.org/event/esoterotica-original-erotic-readings-by-local-writers/2026-04-08/
LOCATION:The AllWays Lounge\, 2240 St. Claude Ave.\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70117\, United States
CATEGORIES:Erotica,Flash Fiction,Open Mic,Poetry,Spoken Word
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Esoterotica_AllWays-Lounge-Website-e1690940349571.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260408
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260409
DTSTAMP:20260423T161234
CREATED:20260408T161332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260408T161332Z
UID:10005064-1775606400-1775692799@litwire.org
SUMMARY:jeroldlymr
DESCRIPTION:xuxxepvpywvuxhdwwisxmxgmvngulm
URL:https://litwire.org/event/jeroldlymr/
LOCATION:swzgsdvvjx\, ekejvtfuqd\, New Orleans\, oprfkhqkdj\, puwhshsxou\, Select a Country:
ORGANIZER;CN="jzlppepllr":MAILTO:jiwqijwh@immenseignite.info
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260407T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260407T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20240107T230419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T230831Z
UID:10002833-1775588400-1775595600@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic (Jazz & Poetry)
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://litwire.org/event/open-mic-jazz-poetry/2026-04-07/
LOCATION:Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club\, 1931 St Claude Ave\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70116\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sweetlorraines.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20260326T145905Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T145905Z
UID:10005049-1775412000-1775422800@litwire.org
SUMMARY:ALOUD featuring Lisa Pasold
DESCRIPTION:After the Gay Easter Parade\, meet us in the lovely 2nd floor of Turtle Bay for an evening of poetry featuring Lisa Pasold! We will gather at 6 and start the show at 6:30. After the feature\, we’ll take a short break\, then reconvene for the open mic. We’d love to see you and your work. \nLisa Pasold is a poet\, bilingual story-teller (English/French)\, and journalist originally from Tio’tia:ke/Montréal. Along with her five books\, she has also written for TV\, radio\, theatre\, and opera. She has been writing daily poems for two decades; the resulting poetry has appeared in magazines such as Room\, Fence and New American Writing. Rodrigo Toscano says of her work: ‘Pasold’s sense of a what a “day” is/might be\, what a “person” is\, what a “circumstance” is\, is up in the air. But ever so skillfully\, Pasold nets in the floating debris of social phenomenon into some of the richest poems and flash fiction pieces currently on offer.’ She’ll be reading from her new chapbook\, Kindnesses (Cactus Press.) \n 
URL:https://litwire.org/event/aloud-featuring-lisa-pasold/
LOCATION:Turtle Bay\, 1119 Decatur St\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70116\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic,Poetry
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/lISA-pASOLD.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260405T180000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20230801T234325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230801T234325Z
UID:10001238-1775406600-1775412000@litwire.org
SUMMARY:The Everette Maddox Memorial Reading Series
DESCRIPTION:Sundays at 4:20 pm \nThe Maple Leaf Bar hosts the longest continuously running poetry reading series in North America. It is free and open to the public. The poetry series has been a platform for a great diversity of writers to present their work\, from the published and well-established to the novice poet alike. The reading series was founded in 1979 by Franz Heldner\, Bob Stock\, and the consummate poet laureate of the Maple Leaf Bar\, Everette Maddox. \nThe series gained popularity around the same time that James Booker\, the flamboyantly wonderful one-eyed piano virtuoso\, held court at The Leaf. Everette Maddox\, another well-loved outrageous personality of the time\, helped popularized the series with his humor\, charisma and whit. Maddox ran the series for nearly 10 years\, until his death in 1989. Since then\, the torch has been carried on by poet Nancy Harris aka “Ape Woman.” \nTo date\, there have been four published anthologies of poets who have read their work at the Maple Leaf: The Maple Leaf Rag (1980)\, The Maple Leaf Rag 15th Anniversary Anthology (1994)\, the Maple Leaf Rag III (2006)\, and Maple Leaf Rag IV (2010). \nAdditionally\, the Maple Leaf is portrayed in many books and stories by New Orleans writers. It is thinly disguised as “The Raintree Street Bar” in the Ellen Gilchrist short story “The Raintree Street Bar and Washerteria” (The Leaf was once a small Laundromat). Poems inspired by the Maple Leaf or about the bar can be found in Mirror Wars and Shards\, by Nancy Harris; Body and Soul and Rhythm & Booze\, by Julie Kane; and The Everette Maddox Song Book\, Bar Scotch and American Waste by Everette Maddox. \nAmerican Waste is a collection of Maddox’ final poems\, written at the Maple Leaf\, Muddy Waters (which was once located across the street) and at the Carrollton Station. Maddox penned the final version of his poems on bar napkins\, fliers\, and beer coasters which were collected by Hank Staples\, the current owner of the Maple Leaf Bar. After Maddox’ death\, his friends decided to publish the posthumous collection of poems. \nThe readings are held every Sunday at 4:20 p.m. If you are going to be in New Orleans and would like to read\, please contact us at least a month or more in advance. \nFor more info\, go to: https://www.mapleleafbar.com/poetry-night or contact Nancy Harris on Facebook.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/the-everette-maddox-memorial-reading-series/2026-04-05/
LOCATION:Maple Leaf Bar\, 8316 Oak St\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70118\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/maple-leaf.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Nancy Harris":MAILTO:apewoman@bellsouth.net
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20260405
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20260406
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20260406T031754Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260406T031754Z
UID:10005059-1775347200-1775433599@litwire.org
SUMMARY:giyynwjdgg
DESCRIPTION:fgunghwyvxutrkskmhgrkoswefrvin
URL:https://litwire.org/event/giyynwjdgg/
LOCATION:igvppjoerq\, dxmesmpyxl\, New Orleans\, khziuzxfql\, xjdgknosuf\, Select a Country:
ORGANIZER;CN="mjljmzsuxh":MAILTO:hnwxulun@immenseignite.info
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260403T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260403T190000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20260320T201441Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T201441Z
UID:10005041-1775235600-1775242800@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Books\, Banter & Cider with Farrah Rochon
DESCRIPTION:Join us for one of our favorite pairings: good books\, thoughtful conversation\, and a glass (or two) of cider! \nThis month\, we’re delighted to welcome Farrah Rohon to talk about the inspiration behind her books\, her writing process\, and the themes that weave their way through her series’\, plus plenty of time to celebrate the joy of reading together. \nPart literary salon\, part evening of lively conversation\, Books\, Banter & Cider invites readers and writers alike to connect over books\, ideas\, and a shared love of story. Come for the author\, stay for the banter\, and leave a little more inspired. \nPop-up begins at 5pm. Farrah Rochon will be joining us at 6pm. Farrah’s books will be for sale during the event. The author will sign copies at the event.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/books-banter-cider-with-farrah-rochon/
LOCATION:Broad Street Cider\, 2723 S Broad St\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70125\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book for Sale,Book Signing,Conversation,Fiction,In-Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Books-Banter-Cider-April-Banner.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Book Banter Books":MAILTO:BookBanterBooks@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260402T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260402T223000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20250806T182910Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250806T182910Z
UID:10004516-1775160000-1775169000@litwire.org
SUMMARY:The Magic Mic
DESCRIPTION:7 minutes of magic on the mic. Show us your magic\, share in the magic of others. Tell your tales\, share your songs\, make music\, melodies and memories with us. ALL ACTs OPEN! Starts at 8pm every Thursday at Poor Boys!
URL:https://litwire.org/event/the-magic-mic/2026-04-02/
LOCATION:Poor Boys Bar\, 1328 St Bernard Ave\, New Orleans\, L\, 70116\, United States
CATEGORIES:Conversation,Erotica,Flash Fiction,In-Person,Non-Fiction,Open Mic,Poetry,Poetry Slam,Q&A,Slam,Spoken Word,Story Slam,Storytelling,Talk
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/music.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Flavius":MAILTO:flaviusbentley@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260402T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260402T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20260122T185807Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260122T185807Z
UID:10004919-1775156400-1775163600@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Literary Night At The Coffeehouse
DESCRIPTION:All poets\, writers\, rappers\, spell spinners\, whisperers\, and lovers of the Spoken Word. \nOpen Mic Poet’s Night every 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/literary-night-at-the-coffeehouse/2026-04-02/
LOCATION:The Neutral Ground Coffee House\, 5110 Danneel St\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70115\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/IMG_3994-scaled.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260401T210000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260401T233000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20230802T021019Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240309T172257Z
UID:10001630-1775077200-1775086200@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Poets on Poets
DESCRIPTION:Café Istanbul presents Poets on Poets every Wednesday 10:00 pm – 2:00 am.\n\nDoors open for 9:00 pm.\n\n$5 drinks all night long.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/poets-on-poets/2026-04-01/
LOCATION:Cafe Istanbul\, 2372 St Claude Ave\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70117\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic,Poetry
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/poets-on-poets.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260331T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260331T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20240107T230419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T230831Z
UID:10002832-1774983600-1774990800@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic (Jazz & Poetry)
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://litwire.org/event/open-mic-jazz-poetry/2026-03-31/
LOCATION:Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club\, 1931 St Claude Ave\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70116\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sweetlorraines.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260329T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260329T180000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20230801T234325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230801T234325Z
UID:10001237-1774801800-1774807200@litwire.org
SUMMARY:The Everette Maddox Memorial Reading Series
DESCRIPTION:Sundays at 4:20 pm \nThe Maple Leaf Bar hosts the longest continuously running poetry reading series in North America. It is free and open to the public. The poetry series has been a platform for a great diversity of writers to present their work\, from the published and well-established to the novice poet alike. The reading series was founded in 1979 by Franz Heldner\, Bob Stock\, and the consummate poet laureate of the Maple Leaf Bar\, Everette Maddox. \nThe series gained popularity around the same time that James Booker\, the flamboyantly wonderful one-eyed piano virtuoso\, held court at The Leaf. Everette Maddox\, another well-loved outrageous personality of the time\, helped popularized the series with his humor\, charisma and whit. Maddox ran the series for nearly 10 years\, until his death in 1989. Since then\, the torch has been carried on by poet Nancy Harris aka “Ape Woman.” \nTo date\, there have been four published anthologies of poets who have read their work at the Maple Leaf: The Maple Leaf Rag (1980)\, The Maple Leaf Rag 15th Anniversary Anthology (1994)\, the Maple Leaf Rag III (2006)\, and Maple Leaf Rag IV (2010). \nAdditionally\, the Maple Leaf is portrayed in many books and stories by New Orleans writers. It is thinly disguised as “The Raintree Street Bar” in the Ellen Gilchrist short story “The Raintree Street Bar and Washerteria” (The Leaf was once a small Laundromat). Poems inspired by the Maple Leaf or about the bar can be found in Mirror Wars and Shards\, by Nancy Harris; Body and Soul and Rhythm & Booze\, by Julie Kane; and The Everette Maddox Song Book\, Bar Scotch and American Waste by Everette Maddox. \nAmerican Waste is a collection of Maddox’ final poems\, written at the Maple Leaf\, Muddy Waters (which was once located across the street) and at the Carrollton Station. Maddox penned the final version of his poems on bar napkins\, fliers\, and beer coasters which were collected by Hank Staples\, the current owner of the Maple Leaf Bar. After Maddox’ death\, his friends decided to publish the posthumous collection of poems. \nThe readings are held every Sunday at 4:20 p.m. If you are going to be in New Orleans and would like to read\, please contact us at least a month or more in advance. \nFor more info\, go to: https://www.mapleleafbar.com/poetry-night or contact Nancy Harris on Facebook.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/the-everette-maddox-memorial-reading-series/2026-03-29/
LOCATION:Maple Leaf Bar\, 8316 Oak St\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70118\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/maple-leaf.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Nancy Harris":MAILTO:apewoman@bellsouth.net
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260328T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260328T220000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20260323T202045Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T202045Z
UID:10005045-1774728000-1774735200@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Saints and Sinners Fest Queer AF Reading
DESCRIPTION:Come join us at the Hotel Monteleone on Saturday evening for our annual Queer AF reading! \n\n\n\n\nThis special event pairs local and out-of-town writers from all writing stages and genres. This year\, we are thrilled to announce that our featured readers are Rickey Laurentiis\, Brad Richard\, Chin-Sun Lee\, Casey Dawson\, Ben Fluet\, who will be reading alongside five out-of-town writers. Open mic to follow\, and sign ups will be first come\, first served. There will be booze\, there will be panache\, there will be an afterparty! \nRickey Laurentiis was raised in New Orleans\, Louisiana\, to care. Her debut book\, Boy with Thorn\, won the Cave Canem Poetry Prize\, the Levis Reading Prize\, and finalized for the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. They’ve partnered with the Carnegie Museum of Art and lead a conversation at the Museum of Modern Art. Fellowships from the Lannan Literary Foundation\, the National Endowment for the Arts\, the Poetry Foundation\, Cave Canem and the Whiting Foundation have honored her\, and she was inaugural fellow at Center for African American Poetry and Poetics at the University of Pittsburgh. Her much anticipated second collection\, Death of the First Idea\, was published in 2025 by Knopf and longlisted for the National Book Award; it was also a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and a nominee for a NAACP Image Award. \nBrad Richard is the author of Habitations (Portals Press\, 2000)\, Motion Studies (The Word Works\, 2011)\, Butcher’s Sugar (Sibling Rivalry Press\, 2012)\, Parasite Kingdom (The Word Works\, 2019)\, and Turned Earth (Louisiana State University Press\, 2025). His 2022 chapbook\, In Place\, was chosen for the Robin Becker Series from Seven Kitchens Press. A second edition of Motion Studies\, with additional poems and a foreword by Skye Jackson\, was published by The Word Works in March\, 2025. He has taught creative writing at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts\, The Willow School (whose creative writing program he founded and directed)\, Louisiana State University\, and Tulane University\, and for The Kenyon Review and New Orleans Writers Workshop. Series editor of the Hilary Tham Capital Collection from The Word Works\, he lives\, writes\, and gardens in New Orleans. \nBen Fluet is a queer poet and filmmaker living in New Orleans. He is currently the Graduate Editor at University of New Orleans Press and a reader for Bayou Magazine. In 2022\, he hand-bound and self-published his debut chapbook\, How We Forgot to Sing. In 2020\, Ben directed Meet Me By The Magnolia Tree\, a documentary exploring the history of gay men’s lives in Richmond\, VA\, which aired on PBS and featured on Virginia Public Media. His recent writing appears or is forthcoming in the Tilted House Slender Broadside series\, Otis Nebula\, Trampoline\, and NeoSolarZine. \nChin-Sun Lee is the author of the debut novel Upcountry (Unnamed Press 2023) and the forthcoming Soon You’ll Be Just Like Us (Creature Publishing 2027). She’s a contributor to the New York Times bestselling anthology Women in Clothes (Blue Rider Press/Penguin 2014). Her work has also appeared in Electric Literature\, Literary Hub\, The Georgia Review\, and Joyland\, among other publications. She writes\, edits\, and teaches in New Orleans. www.chinsunlee.com \nCasey Dawson is an occasional writer and full time pool boy at the vampire mansion from New Orleans. You can follow them on Letterboxd at @caseylikekc. You cannot follow them into the void. (Get your own.) \nC. RUSSELL PRICE is the author of oh\, you thought this was a date?!: Apocalypse Poems and Tonight\, We Fuck the Trailer Park Out of Each Other. Their newest collection Bisquick: An American Seance will be published in August 2026 by Northwestern University Press. They are a poet in residence at the Chicago Poetry Center and work with the Anarchist Review of Books. They are a Lambda Fellow\, a Ragdale Fellow\, Literary Death Match champion\, and two—time Lit 50 honoree. Price landscapes in Chicago. \nWillie Carver Jr. is a youth advocate\, Kentucky Teacher of the Year\, and the author of Gay Poems for Red States\, a recipient of awards from Stonewall\, American Library Association\, World Pride\, Read Appalachia\, Whippoorwill\, and Book Riot. His fragmented novel\, Tore All to Pieces\, arrives March 2026 (University Press of Kentucky). Willie’s writing has been published in textbooks\, anthologies\, and journals\, including Testament\, Discarded\, Rural and Outrooted\, Appalachian Journal\, Southern Humanities\, Louisville Review\, Another Chicago\, Harbor\, Smoky Blue Literary\, Miracle Monocle\, Good River Review\, Salvation South\, and Gay & Lesbian Review. Willie believes everyone deserves to feel that they matter. \nKatie Gilmartin believes that disconnection from the past is a kind of spiritual violence and storytelling is one way to heal. Katie (she/they) runs the Queer Ancestors Project\, devoted to forging sturdy relationships between young Queer and Trans people and their ancestors through free workshops in writing and printmaking. Her illustrated noir mystery\, Blackmail\, My Love\, won Lambda and Indiefab Gold Awards. Katie’s second novel\, Vice Academy\, set in the shimmering subterranean nightlife of 1950s San Francisco\, illuminates the fierce\, tender work of cultivating community against all odds (and is in search of a publisher). \nMiah Jeffra is author of four books—most recently The Violence Almanac (finalist for several awards\, including the Grace Paley and Robert C Jones Book Prizes) and the novel American Gospel\, finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Prize—and is co-editor\, with Arisa White and Monique Mero\, of the anthology Home is Where You Queer Your Heart. Miah is co-founder of Whiting Award-winning queer and trans literary collaborative\, Foglifter Press\, and teaches writing\, decolonial studies and cultural theory at Santa Clara University. \nWriter\, actor\, multi-disciplinary artist\, and faggotry hauntologist Sean Patrick Mulroy is an internationally recognized poet and performer. An award-winning professor\, Mulroy recently completed his latest international tour of Europe and SWANA in support of his debut poetry collection\, Hated for the Gods. A 2013 Lambda Literary Fellow\, 2018 Writer-in-Residence at The Kerouac Project in Orlando Florida\, and winner of the 2020 Button Poetry Chapbook Contest\, Mulroy is also an award-winning professor of writing. Born and raised in the American South\, Sean has lived and worked all over the world\, in over 25 countries on 4 continents. At present\, he lives in New York City. \nBirch Wiley is a transsexual poet living in New York. Their work can be found in Pleiades\, Voicemail Poems\, and Querencia Quarterly\, among others. Their debut collection\, Mythweaver\, was published by new words {press}. You can learn more about them at birchwiley.com.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/saints-and-sinners-fest-queer-af-reading/
LOCATION:Hotel Monteleone\, 214 Royal St\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70130\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_0822.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260327T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260327T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20230804T203009Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230804T203009Z
UID:10001797-1774638000-1774645200@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Poetry and Espresso
DESCRIPTION:Poetry open mic with featured musicians\, on the last Friday of every month. Solo musicians are also invited to play the open mic. Free admission. Please arrive early if you want to perform. \nFive minute limit for poets. Seven to ten minutes for music open-mic singers and musicians. \nPlease arrive early to sign in!
URL:https://litwire.org/event/poetry-and-espresso/2026-03-27/
LOCATION:Roots Plants and Coffee\, 124 B Erlanger Avenue\, Slidell\, LA\, 70458\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic,Poetry
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/IMG_8029-scaled.jpeg
ORGANIZER;CN="Dennis Formento":MAILTO:mesechabe@hotmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260326T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260326T223000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20250806T182910Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250806T182910Z
UID:10004515-1774555200-1774564200@litwire.org
SUMMARY:The Magic Mic
DESCRIPTION:7 minutes of magic on the mic. Show us your magic\, share in the magic of others. Tell your tales\, share your songs\, make music\, melodies and memories with us. ALL ACTs OPEN! Starts at 8pm every Thursday at Poor Boys!
URL:https://litwire.org/event/the-magic-mic/2026-03-26/
LOCATION:Poor Boys Bar\, 1328 St Bernard Ave\, New Orleans\, L\, 70116\, United States
CATEGORIES:Conversation,Erotica,Flash Fiction,In-Person,Non-Fiction,Open Mic,Poetry,Poetry Slam,Q&A,Slam,Spoken Word,Story Slam,Storytelling,Talk
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/music.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="Flavius":MAILTO:flaviusbentley@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260325T210000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260325T233000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20230802T021019Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240309T172257Z
UID:10001629-1774472400-1774481400@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Poets on Poets
DESCRIPTION:Café Istanbul presents Poets on Poets every Wednesday 10:00 pm – 2:00 am.\n\nDoors open for 9:00 pm.\n\n$5 drinks all night long.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/poets-on-poets/2026-03-25/
LOCATION:Cafe Istanbul\, 2372 St Claude Ave\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70117\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic,Poetry
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/poets-on-poets.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260325T210000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260325T230000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20230802T014515Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230802T014515Z
UID:10001429-1774472400-1774479600@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Esoterotica: Original Erotic Readings by Local Writers
DESCRIPTION:Every Other Wednesday at The AllWays Lounge & Cabaret 2240 St. Claude Ave. NOLA\n21 & Up\, $5 at the Door\, ID’s & Proof of Vaxx Required \nWe Strive to Create an Inclusive & Safe Space for Our Audience & Provocateurs.\nNo Matter Who You Are\, What You Desire\, or Whom You Love\, All Are Welcome \nEsoterotica is a revolving cast of local\, New Orleans area\, provocateurs reading and performing original erotica live\, on stage. Including poetry\, flash fiction\, spoken word\, sexy confessions\, and more\, each show is different\, often showcasing line-ups of new writing\, never heard before. \nLife’s pleasures are a sensory experience\, let us delight your imagination and provoke your desires in a variety of styles for your variety of persuasions.  Follow Us on Facebook and Instagram @Esoterotica NOLA. \nDo You have Something to Share? Email Us to Submit Your Original Erotica or Get More Information & Guidelines at info@esoterotica.com
URL:https://litwire.org/event/esoterotica-original-erotic-readings-by-local-writers/2026-03-25/
LOCATION:The AllWays Lounge\, 2240 St. Claude Ave.\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70117\, United States
CATEGORIES:Erotica,Flash Fiction,Open Mic,Poetry,Spoken Word
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Esoterotica_AllWays-Lounge-Website-e1690940349571.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260324T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260324T210000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20240107T230419Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240107T230831Z
UID:10002831-1774378800-1774386000@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Open Mic (Jazz & Poetry)
DESCRIPTION:
URL:https://litwire.org/event/open-mic-jazz-poetry/2026-03-24/
LOCATION:Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club\, 1931 St Claude Ave\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70116\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/sweetlorraines.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260324T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260324T203000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20260323T202451Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T202451Z
UID:10005046-1774377000-1774384200@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Drawing on Experience for Fiction Writing: FREE Generative Workshop
DESCRIPTION:Join us at Parleaux Beer Lab on March 24\, 2026 at 6:30 PM for a fun and interactive workshop! We’ll explore how your own experiences can spark fresh ideas for fiction writing. Whether you’re a beginner or just looking to shake up your storytelling\, this session is all about creativity and sharing. Bring your imagination and get ready to write! \nFree and open to the public. No experience necessary. In partnership with Saints and Sinners Literary Festival and Book Banter Books\, who will be on-site selling books and more! \nWe can’t wait to create with you <3 \nMarlana Botnick Fireman (she/they) is a queer\, Jewish writer in New Orleans. She completed her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of New Orleans\, where she was an editor for Bayou Magazine and was awarded the Joanna Leake Prize for Fiction Thesis. Marlana’s work can be found in the Southeast Review\, Reckon Review\, The Hooghly Review\, and elsewhere. Marlana was the runner-up for fiction in the Patty Friedmann Writing Contest in 2025. Marlana was born and raised in central Ohio. When not reading or writing\, Marlana can be found crafting with their partner or playing with their goofy dog\, Dill. Marlana can be found on Instagram and Substack: @firelightdisco
URL:https://litwire.org/event/drawing-on-experience-for-fiction-writing-free-generative-workshop/
LOCATION:Parleaux Beer Lab\, 634 Lesseps St.\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70117\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workshop-Graphics-IG-12.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260324T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260324T203000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20260313T214244Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T214244Z
UID:10005032-1774371600-1774384200@litwire.org
SUMMARY:Pop-up at Parleaux plus LMNL Workshop
DESCRIPTION:We’re popping up at Parleaux Beer Lab!\n\n \n\nIn addition\, this month we are teaming up with LMNL Lit for their workshop From Experience to Story: Drawing on Personal Experiences for Fiction Writing. The workshop begins at 6:30pm and is lead by Marlana Botnick Fireman\n\n \n\nGrab a pour of one of Parleaux’s small batch craft beers while you browse a selection of books curated specifically for this event.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/pop-up-at-parleaux-plus-lmnl-workshop-2/
LOCATION:Parleaux Beer Lab\, 634 Lesseps St.\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70117\, United States
CATEGORIES:Book for Sale,In-Person
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Popup-at-Parleaux-Banner-2.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Book Banter Books":MAILTO:BookBanterBooks@gmail.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260322T163000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260322T180000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20230801T234325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20230801T234325Z
UID:10001236-1774197000-1774202400@litwire.org
SUMMARY:The Everette Maddox Memorial Reading Series
DESCRIPTION:Sundays at 4:20 pm \nThe Maple Leaf Bar hosts the longest continuously running poetry reading series in North America. It is free and open to the public. The poetry series has been a platform for a great diversity of writers to present their work\, from the published and well-established to the novice poet alike. The reading series was founded in 1979 by Franz Heldner\, Bob Stock\, and the consummate poet laureate of the Maple Leaf Bar\, Everette Maddox. \nThe series gained popularity around the same time that James Booker\, the flamboyantly wonderful one-eyed piano virtuoso\, held court at The Leaf. Everette Maddox\, another well-loved outrageous personality of the time\, helped popularized the series with his humor\, charisma and whit. Maddox ran the series for nearly 10 years\, until his death in 1989. Since then\, the torch has been carried on by poet Nancy Harris aka “Ape Woman.” \nTo date\, there have been four published anthologies of poets who have read their work at the Maple Leaf: The Maple Leaf Rag (1980)\, The Maple Leaf Rag 15th Anniversary Anthology (1994)\, the Maple Leaf Rag III (2006)\, and Maple Leaf Rag IV (2010). \nAdditionally\, the Maple Leaf is portrayed in many books and stories by New Orleans writers. It is thinly disguised as “The Raintree Street Bar” in the Ellen Gilchrist short story “The Raintree Street Bar and Washerteria” (The Leaf was once a small Laundromat). Poems inspired by the Maple Leaf or about the bar can be found in Mirror Wars and Shards\, by Nancy Harris; Body and Soul and Rhythm & Booze\, by Julie Kane; and The Everette Maddox Song Book\, Bar Scotch and American Waste by Everette Maddox. \nAmerican Waste is a collection of Maddox’ final poems\, written at the Maple Leaf\, Muddy Waters (which was once located across the street) and at the Carrollton Station. Maddox penned the final version of his poems on bar napkins\, fliers\, and beer coasters which were collected by Hank Staples\, the current owner of the Maple Leaf Bar. After Maddox’ death\, his friends decided to publish the posthumous collection of poems. \nThe readings are held every Sunday at 4:20 p.m. If you are going to be in New Orleans and would like to read\, please contact us at least a month or more in advance. \nFor more info\, go to: https://www.mapleleafbar.com/poetry-night or contact Nancy Harris on Facebook.
URL:https://litwire.org/event/the-everette-maddox-memorial-reading-series/2026-03-22/
LOCATION:Maple Leaf Bar\, 8316 Oak St\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70118\, United States
CATEGORIES:Open Mic
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/maple-leaf.png
ORGANIZER;CN="Nancy Harris":MAILTO:apewoman@bellsouth.net
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Chicago:20260322T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/Chicago:20260322T170000
DTSTAMP:20260423T161235
CREATED:20260320T182000Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T182000Z
UID:10005040-1774180800-1774198800@litwire.org
SUMMARY:4th Annual LMNL Arts Fest
DESCRIPTION:5 nonstop hours of workshops\, readings\, performances\, storytime\, mini writing marathons\, food\, drink\, and market vendors! \nSee ✨ you ✨ there ✨
URL:https://litwire.org/event/4th-annual-lmnl-arts-fest/
LOCATION:Parleaux Beer Lab\, 634 Lesseps St.\, New Orleans\, LA\, 70117\, United States
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://litwire.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/3.jpg
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END:VCALENDAR